Stephano Arienti at Lehmann Maupin

Stefan Sagmeister’s rotting banana display this winter at Deitch may have proved the “lots of one thing” installation genre runs all year round — after all only last July we saw the Dash Snow/Dan Colen shredded paper project, Nest — though it’s hard not to feel summer is upon you wading through a giant pile of wheat in your bare feet. Stephano Arienti’s Library at Lehmann Maupin sets up this very scenario adding a few books to the mix (90 to be precise). “It’s totally worth doing it…without socks” two dudes told me picking grain out from between their toes. They were right, though the experience is exactly what you’d expect; as much fun as you make it. I didn’t bring any whole wheat loving friends with me but it’s not a bad feeling to sink into a bunch of grain, so I liked it anyway. Undoubtedly my favorite part of the exhibition was discovering the over used Henry Darger book encrusted with this years field harvest and three penile shaped holes drilled into it. I don’t know what this means if anything, nor am I wholly sold on the artistic merit of the exhibition as a whole — it’s a little too familiar for my tastes — but it’s a good time nonetheless. It may be worth mentioning that good times will only be had until June 8th, at which point the exhibition closes.